Sask. First Nation discovers hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential school site
UPDATED: 751 unmarked burial sites were discovered near the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School on Cowessess First Nation.
A previous version of this story continues below.
Warning: This story contains details some readers may find disturbing.
Cowessess First Nation has made a “horrific and shocking discovery” of hundreds of burial sites on the grounds of the former Marieval Indian Residential School, according to a media advisory from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN).
The FSIN said “the number of unmarked graves will be the most significantly substantial to date in Canada.”
Cowessess First Nation is scheduled to make an official announcement and provide more details Thursday morning.
SASK. PREMIER REACTS
In a statement posted to Twitter, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said “all of Saskatchewan mourns for those who were discovered buried in unmarked graves near the former Marieval Indian Residential School site.”
Moe said he has spoken with FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron and Cowessess Chief Cadmus Delorme to offer the “full support of the provincial government...”
MARIEVAL INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL
The Marieval Indian Residential School closed in 1997 after operating for nearly 100 years.
According to information available through the University of Regina, the school was run by the Catholic Church until Cowessess First Nation took over operations in 1981.
The federal government had purchased the property in 1926. The school was “controversially demolished” in 1999, two years after it closed, and replaced with a day school.
OTHER DISCOVERIES IN SASK.
At the beginning of June, the Muskowekwan First Nation in Saskatchewan held a ceremony to honour the 215 children whose remains were found at a Kamloops residential school site and recognize the 35 unmarked graves found on the site of the Muscowequan Indian Residential School.
In 2018 and 2019, the First Nation worked with the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Alberta to use ground-penetrating radar to find unmarked or unidentified graves of children who attended the school.
Through that process, along with water line construction done in the 1990s, the First Nation has identified at least 35 graves. It said there are likely more still waiting to be found.
The unmarked graves of approximately 40 Indigenous children were found on the grounds of the former Regina Indian Industrial School in 2014
The provincial and federal governments have both pledged money to help search residential school sites in Saskatchewan.
--
If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Police say another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.